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Chapter 12

"Yes, my lord." Miguel nodded.

"Why?" asked Mev.

"I heard there was an order from the governor to relocate the villagers to Orendel City," Miguel replied.

"Marquess Burchard..." Mev\'s voice trailed off.

Marquess Burchard was the governor ruling this region. Mev fell silent for a moment.

"It makes no sense. Why would a lord burn down a perfectly good village?" Suddenly, Philip, who had just arrived and was catching his breath, interjected.

"It must be because of the war, Philip," Mev replied softly. She continued, "If war starts, it\'s impossible to protect every fiefdom. Concentrating the population at key points seems logical."

It would be easier to protect the people, muster troops, and collect taxes that way.

"Still, this is too much," Philip murmured, looking around the village. He went on, "To destroy their homes..."

"Anyway, if war breaks out, the village will be looted and burned." Ian then added indifferently, "Better to move and burn it beforehand."

In the world he knew, Earth\'s history, there had always been a myriad of barbaric and nonsensical events. In a game world, brimming with unrealistic and extreme scenarios, things could only be more intense.

The idea that the marquess might have taken the villagers for use in black magic rituals wouldn\'t have been surprising. But, of course, the marquess had other plans, which Ian was aware of from the game. It was just that he hadn\'t expected preparations to begin so soon.

"Ian, do you believe what he\'s saying is true?" Mev asked.

"Yes, up to this point." Ian looked down at Miguel. As relief flashed in Miguel\'s eyes, Ian added. "But I can\'t guarantee he\'ll tell the truth until the end."

"...!" Miguel\'s eyes widened, but Ian remained unfazed.

While there was an intention to keep Miguel on edge, there was also truth in his words. In this world, the line between a mercenary, a thug, and a thief was paper-thin. Most of the mercenaries Ian had encountered were quick to draw their swords in any dispute and were rife with deception and betrayal. This was especially true for the mercenaries in this remote village of Agel Lan, who were mostly deserters or criminals.

"Then what about these bodies?" Ian asked, nodding toward them.

Miguel, licking his lips nervously, quickly replied. "They\'re the village chief\'s family. They opposed the relocation until the end and were executed. I ran into the relocating villagers by chance, and they asked me to bury these bodies, giving me some coins. That\'s why I was digging graves."

Ian surveyed the bodies and pits. Six bodies. Four pits. Miguel\'s men, who had been kneeling nearby, nodded in agreement. They were poorly armed villagers.

Something feels off, Ian muttered silently.

"And?" Ian asked.

"That\'s all there is...,” Miguel replied.

"..." Ian replied with silence.

"That\'s everything! I swear to the brilliant Lu Solar, I\'ve hidden nothing!"

‘Damn, it\'s true.’ Ian\'s brow furrowed. It was just a story with no conspiracy, secrets, or quests. In other words, it was a wild goose chase. Well, if every messed-up place had a quest, it would take a lifetime to solve them all.

"Do you believe his story?" Mev asked as Ian contemplated.

"Yes, I do," Ian answered with a grimace.

"I see. Understood." Without asking further, Mev nodded and turned her horse around. She continued, "I\'ll take a look around the village. There might be stragglers."

Ian clicked his tongue, admiring her thoroughness, and added, "Let\'s finish quickly and get back on our way. The sun has set."

Mev\'s horse faded into the distance. Miguel\'s gaze naturally shifted to Ian, his eyes filled with a pitiable expression like that of a dog needing to relieve itself.

"You want to die?" Ian bluntly spoke.

"No, of course not. Ha ha." Miguel\'s smile twisted nervously. He went on, "I thought since you cleared my name, you might let me finish what I was doing."

Ian glanced at the bodies laid out beside the pits. Perhaps it was their unjust deaths, but a sinister resentment seemed to emanate from them. Left like this, they might soon turn into vengeful spirits. The hayseeds kneeling beside them seemed oblivious to this.

"...Go ahead,” Ian replied.

"Thank you. I had another task to attend to, but we\'ve wasted too much time here." Miguel smoothly replied, then sharply turned to his subordinates. "What are you staring at? Move your asses! Dig another pit. Don\'t you see the sun setting? Finish quickly!"

Miguel’s subordinates got up without a word and resumed their digging.

"Seeing you all together, it looks like you\'re on a big assignment?" Watching them, Philip suddenly spoke.

"Well, that\'s..." Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Miguel scratched his cheek.

"Why are you looking at our mercenary leader?" Philip asked, glancing at Ian.

"Well, it\'s an unwritten rule among mercenaries not to disclose ongoing assignments," Miguel replied.

"That\'s an interesting rule," said Philip.

"There are too many who steal jobs. So, it\'s okay not to keep your silence. Miguel." Ian interjected with a smile, he continued, "Unless you see me as those scumbags."

"It\'s not that... Damn it. I\'ll tell you. You might have heard about it. Rumors of a pack of wolves that eat only human flesh. Turns out, it\'s true." Miguel\'s forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

"...!"

"...?!"

Ian and Philip\'s eyes widened almost simultaneously.

Unaware of their reaction, Miguel continued, "They had killed several people, including the village chief\'s son. We arrived a few days later. Who else but a former hunter like me would take on such a task... But why do you look like that?"

Miguel asked belatedly.

"...I had no intention of stealing your job," said Ian.

Ian exchanged glances with Philip and looked at Miguel with a peculiar expression.

"I\'ve already taken care of it." Ian lifted the head of a werewolf tied behind his saddle.

"...?!" Miguel\'s mouth dropped open.

"I did well to keep the head," Philip spoke with a sense of pride. Ian nodded in agreement.

"That settles it. I\'ll share the reward with you,” said Ian.

"Thank you for your generous decision. We were running low on travel funds. This is a relief. Though it\'s thanks to you, sir," Philip added.

"If that\'s the case, you can keep running low," replied Ian.

"...No, sir," Philip added.

"So, sir, you mean to say you and the knight encountered that wolf pack? And you took care of them?" Miguel, who had just regained his composure, interjected.

"Yes." Ian nodded.

"But I never heard that there was a werewolf among the pack," said Miguel.

"It was a tricky one, used others for the dirty work. Like you. Why else would the wolves attack only humans?" Ian replied.

"It was supposed to be a big job. Damn it. Nothing\'s going right today." Miguel\'s face finally contorted as if he had bitten into something foul.

"Consider yourself lucky. With those hayseeds, you would have all died if you\'d met this one," said Ian.

"...." Miguel replied in silence.

"So about that job." Ian, holding up the werewolf, Adolph\'s head, smiled, "Which village did you get it from?"

Miguel smacked his lips closed, seemingly regretful.

"You\'ll end up telling us anyway. If you want to earn a brokerage fee, you\'d better spill it." Ian added.

"...It\'s about a two-day journey. A village on the way to Red Valley,” Miguel replied.

"It\'s a bit of a detour, but we can manage to pass through it, as long as we don\'t lose our way. I\'m not too familiar with that route myself." Philip\'s face brightened up.

"Is there a priest in that village? Preferably one serving Lu Solar." Ian turned to Miguel.

"Yes, there\'s a small temple," Miguel answered.

"You\'re coming with us. Guide us there," Ian replied as he listened to the sound of hooves echoing from the village.

"...Together?" Miguel blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Your brokerage fee will be paid once the task is completed. To ensure it\'s done properly," Ian replied.

Miguel\'s mouth fell open again. He must have been thinking something like, \'What thief!\'

"So, better finish up those graves properly. Those people will soon turn into evil spirits." Ian calmly added.

"Damn it...!" Miguel rushed to his men.

A satisfied smile finally crossed Ian\'s lips. Things hadn\'t gone as expected, but at least something had been salvaged. He looked around the darkened ruins. Mev was returning. It was time to inform her of the unexpected company.

"Whew, whew." Miguel was sweating profusely as he dug the pits.

His subordinates were busy laying the bodies in the pits and covering them with soil. A torch set nearby cast dynamic shadows on their movements. Mev, who had lifted her face cover, watched them expressionlessly.

"We needed to restock supplies before reaching the Tomb Forest anyway," said Ian.

"Those who lost family to the wolves should know this too, sir," Philip added on.

"..."

Mev did not oppose since Ian and Philip seemed like they wanted the new company, but her eyes showed disapproval. Knights rarely liked mercenaries. To them, mercenaries were nothing more than godless, faithless potential thieves. Mev was no different, she was a knight like the others. Ian was the only exception.

"We\'ll need to prepare for camping tonight," Philip said suddenly.

"Unless something happens. Go and help them with the gravestones. I doubt those guys know how to write." Ian replied calmly,

“Yes, sir." Philip walked away.

Ian finally shifted his gaze.

The surroundings were engulfed in darkness. The cloud-filled sky seemed brighter in contrast. It was the time for monsters. Although monsters weren\'t exclusively nocturnal, they avoided large groups of humans. Still, being off guard was always dangerous. Ian circulated the magic lying dormant in his veins.

Ian’s vision, once dim, sharpened rapidly. His senses naturally awakened. Everything felt clear and distinct. The crisp air, the smell of grass, the sounds of animals moving through the trees and bushes. Even an inexplicable, subtle sense of alienation.

"...." Ian\'s brow furrowed slightly.

\'It\'s not an illusion.\'

The sensation was too faint to notice under normal circumstances. Following his senses, Ian\'s gaze eventually settled on Mev. His pupils flickered faintly. Magic Detection. Mev, who had been watching Miguel\'s group, turned to look at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I haven\'t said anything yet," said Mev.

"I know." Leaning toward her, Ian added softly, "I was checking if you were under the influence of a dark mage."

"What are you talking about all of a sudden...!" Mev\'s voice halted abruptly.

She quickly removed one of her gloves and rummaged at her waist. Soon, a small pouch came up. It was a pouch containing the corrupted essence bead.

"Indeed, there\'s a change... Didn\'t you feel it even though you were carrying it?" Ian said, staring at the pouch.

"To me, it\'s just corrupted magic." Mev nodded.

"It seems too subtle a change for you to notice," Ian replied.

After all, if the dark mage were spying or attempting to infiltrate, Mev would have noticed.

"What exactly has changed?" Mev asked.

"The magic is pulsating. It\'s faint but regular. Yes..." Ian looked at Mev, with realization drawn in his eyes. He continued, "It seems like a signal."

"A signal...?" said Mev.

"Yes. It would be distinctly felt by those with similar magic. It might even be enticing to them. They know it\'s a source of power," Ian replied.

"Are you saying this is attracting creatures of darkness?" Mev\'s gaze darkened.

"Probably," said Ian.

The dark mage seemed to now value his vengeance against Ian over the seeds he had sown. A mage easily forgets a favor but never forgets a grudge, as the saying goes. It was exactly that.

Thanks to him, things have gotten interesting. Ian\'s lips curled up slightly. What it is calling would likely be elite monsters. This saved Ian the effort of chasing the monsters directly. They would come to Ian now. If the dark wizard had known, he would have grasped his neck in distress.

"Could it be because of this that the werewolf...?" Mev suddenly blurted out.

"It wasn\'t him. I didn\'t feel it yesterday. It started today. If it\'s been emitting this signal all day long..." Ian shook his head slightly.

"...then any kind of monster following it wouldn\'t be surprising." Mev finished the sentence.

Whoosh.

Just then, a gust of wind swept between them.

"Speak of the devil," Ian murmured, still locking eyes with Mev. Her green eyes remained calm, without a hint of disturbance, as if she had made her resolve.

"An interesting proverb." Mev lowered her face cover.

"Philip. Bring me your sword." Ian, with his hand on his waist, suddenly realized and spoke.

"My sword...? Why suddenly do you need a sword, sir?" Philip, puzzled but quickly complying, hurriedly approached and drew his sword.

"Because now I need it." Ian turned his head.

On a hill shrouded in darkness, under the gray clouds, a dark silhouette suddenly loomed. It was the shape of a horseman. However, it had a flat top above its shoulders.

"Headless... isn\'t it?" Philip murmured in disbelief.

"Seems like you haven\'t heard the rumors of the Headless Horseman," said Ian. He continued calmly, "That\'s the one. The Dullahan."

It was a named monster from chapter one of the game. Ian, too, hadn\'t known that this creature was a minion of the dark magician until now.

“The headless horseman...." Mulling over, Philip stared at the silhouette, then finally said, "Your words are right again, sir."

"...?" Ian looked at Philip.

"The kingdom is really in a mess," Philip continued.

Ian responded with silence.